Centrifugal starching apparatus



Oct. 2, 1928.

A. J. DREHER -ET AL CENTRIFUGAL STARCHING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet INVENTORJ' W M A '17 RNEVJ' Oct. 2-, 1928.

A. J. DREHER ET AL CENTRIFUGAL STARCHING APPARATUS Filed S'pt. 14, 1925 s Sheeis-Sheet Patented Oct, 2, 1928 UNITED" STATE-5' evee-s1 'ATNTOFF ALBERT ibnn'nn'n Ann intense J. COUCH ,'OF, CINCINNATI, onIo', As"sIGNoRs TO linemen LAUNDI'WQ ACHIN R COMPANY, OF nonwoon STATION, GIN- CINIKIAT'I 0111b, A oon'ronsrion OF OHIO.

s im-sevensmeceme Assamese. A puhuon filed Se tember 14,1925. Serial No. 56,254;

This invention relates improvements in apparatus for starching laundry v p y In the' lau ndrying of clothes it has hereto fore been I the practice after Washing the; clothes to treat them in an extractor, remove the same from the extractor andplacethem' ina tank or tub for'starching; Such a process isn'ot only slowandcum'hersomq but difficulty has also been experienced in ma ntain ng the proper. degreeof thicknessof the starch solu-,.

tion which is thinned out by themoisture still retained by the laundry after the extracting process. Furthermore, the clothes according to the old process are not uniformly starched, with the result that after being ironed there Will appear glossy spots on the same. I

It is therefore the object of the presentim vention to perform the starching operation in the same container which is used for ei'rtrac-tin'g. That is to say, according to the present improved apparatus, after performing the extracting operation the s'tar'chin'g solution is supplied to the saine basket which contains the clothes, andby rotationof thebasketthe clothes are starc-hed uniformly throughout. 7

'It is a further object ofth-is'invention to provid'ea starching apparatus in which the starch is sprayed onto the clothes from a point 1 outside oi the-basket or container.

It is a further object to provide circulat ing system of pipes and a pump for forcing the starch solution therethro'ugh so asto be sprayed ontothe c-lo'thes and returned for re- .circulati'on. 1

Another. object of: this invention is to;provide means for thickening the starch solution as it isbeingcir'culatedthrough the system-of pipes and without stoppingthe starchin'g'opera'tion. w

n is likewise an 055m of this inventionto provide a starching apparatus in which the starch cooke'r'consistsof a separate container which may be cut off from the rest of the de-' 1 ;-1 Vice duringthe starching operation except as starch solution is circulated and which is so.

further object this invention to arranged as to comprise a Wlll collect and hold sufiicientstarchsolution zen for priming the pump which i s'a lso' embraced within the circulating system.

Other objects Will appear from thefolloiv 111g descript on and claims When considered together with the accompanying drawings. Fig. lisa front elevation of our improyed .sta-i'ehing apparatus Withparts broken away and shown in SCt1OIl;' Fi a 2 is a plan View; 7

3 is a horizontal section taken on, line l hi3, 1; Fig.4 isa detail view of the ing ector valve'; Fig. 5 is a plan viewo-f the vvater inletWith-a part broken away; Fig. 6 is a detail view 01"" the spraying nozzle partly in section; and Fig. 7 is an end view of'the nozzle Within the curb 1 is mounted the iv basket 2 which is adapted to be rotated by means of the belt 3 which extends-about the" fly Wheel on the lower end ofthe basket spindle 4. The belt 3is driven by the motor d The'curb l is provided with 'the drain'pipejfi" L Wlnehhas the valve Upon the-top" of the, v

club 1 there ishinged the cover ;8, through 'Which e ntends the spraying nozzle 9. Which is thus located at a point above and outside oi the basket 2. This nozzle 9 isso arranged and directed in its dischargethat the starch' sol ution will'be sprayed 'ther'efrompfito the clothes contained With-in the basket as the v sameis -otated The nozzle 9-compri'ses the needle valve 10 which is'adapted tofbe opened i J and closed by means Ofthehixhdlell at the other end thereof, this needle being threaded inthe shank 12 of the pipe 13 jthroughyvhich the starch solution is fed; The' hracke't 14 of hinge 15 of the cover 8' surrounds the pipe or conduit 18 andis secured theretolby means of the strap :14. The hinge '15 has extending throu gliithe-rear ends thereof the pintle rod. '16 which is mounted "in the straps 17st) as to permit the covjer to be opened and closed. There is provided alsoa j'oint' or union member 18 for connecting the sections of pipe 13-this union member having an ex tension which receives thegpr'ojecting end of pintle rod 16, as clearly indicated-in Fig.2;

- Thus, with. the stuffing box connection 19 in the one section of the pipe 13, it is possible for the other section of pipe 13 to be raised and lowered with the cover. In other words, the cover may be raised and lowered without being'hindered by the particular pipe arrange, ment. Also, by removing strap 14, the pipe and nozzle can be raised independently of the cover.

A vertical section of pipe extends downwardly from the pipe 13 and connects with the horizontally disposed pipe section 21 whichail'ords communication with the pump ;22 and has connection at its other end with the lower end of the standpipe 23 projecting I from the bottom of the curb channel. The pump 22 is driven by means of the gear 24 meshing with the pinion 25 which in turn vis mounted on' the shaft of the motor 26.

The pipe section .21 is connected with a short section of pipe 27which communicates with the horizontally disposed pipe section 28 which in turn connects with the short pipe section-29. The other end of pipe 29 is in communication with the outlet pipe 30 of the starch cooker 31. The pipe 28 is provided with the valve 32 which controls the supply starch solution onto the of cooked starch solution from the cooker 31 to'and through the'circulating system just now outlined and described for spraying the clothes in the container or basket 2.

The cooker 31 is provided with a cover '33 and has the steam manifold 34 suitably ing the starch.

mounted upon the side thereof for communication with the inside of the cooker for cook- As a means of injecting comparatively thick starch solution from the cooker to the pipe 20 of the circulating system, we have provided the injector 35 which communicates at its one end with the pipe 20 and at its other end with the pipe 36 which has direct connection with the pipe 30 at the lower end of the starch cooker. This injector is controlled by means of the valve 37, and whenthis valve is openfthe starch solution from the cooker will bedrawn by injection into the pipe 20 through which the comparatively thin starch solution is being circulated duringthe starching operation.

r The operation of our improved device as thus far described is briefly stated as follows.

With all of the valves closed, the extracting operatlon having been already. performed.

and the water drained from the curb through the dischargepipe '6 during the extracting operation, the clothes are then in condition for thestarching operat1on. During the ex tracting operation the pump 22 has been idle. Likewise the extractor, basket is idle after the extracting operation'has been performed and until the starch solution is fed into the circulating system for the starching operatlOIl; Upon openmg the valve 32 and startlution to properly prime the pump 22, the

valve 32 is closed and this starch solution is then circulated and re-circulated throughout the system of pipes just now referred to. Whenever the operator deems it advisable to thicken the starch solution after it has passed and re-passed through the basket in which the clothes are contained, it is merely necessary to open the injector valve 37 so asto' permit the necessary quantity of comparatively thick starch solution to enter through the outlet 30 and the pipe 36 up through the injector connection to the pipe 20.x As soon as a sufiicient quantity has been injected into the circulating system, the Valve 37 is closed. i

Upon completion of a starching operation, the pump motor and basket operating motor are both stopped. Thenvupon again starting the pum motor, there-will be suflicient starch solution in the pipe 23t o prime the pump; so that it is only necessary to'open valve 32 at the beginning of the operation to prime the pump. I

W'hen at'the end of the days work it is desiredto drainand flush out the entire a-p-. paratus, this may be done by first draining the remaining starch solution 7 from the cooker 31 through the discharge valve 38.

Likewise thevalve 7 may be opened to drain the bottom ofthe' curb 1. Then, by opening valve 39 which controls the water inlet manifold 40, water can be admitted to the pipes and forced therethrough by means of the pump for cleaning the same. This pipe 4L0 has communication withboth the pipes 28 and 36, as clearly indicated in the drawings. As soon as a suflicient quantity of water has been admitted to the system for cleaningithe same, this valve 39 will be closed. During" admission of the water to the system of pipes,

asjust now referred to, a certain quantity of water will of course back up through'the discharge outlet 30 into the bottom of the cooker 31 because of the direct connection of the manifold40 with the pipe 36 and the outlet 30. Likewise water will standin. the pipes 28 and 36, and'upon operation of the pump 22 it will be forced through the same system of pipes as just now described as constituting the path of circulation for vthe starch solution during thestarching operation. That isto say, with both the injector valve 37 and the spraying valve 10- in open position, the water will be forced up through the. pipe 20, through the pipe sections 13, through the spraying nozzle 9 into the basket 2and down through the pipe 23 and the pipe 21 to the pump 22. Upon completion of this flushing operation, and upon closing the valves 10 and 37. and opening the valve 45,

the Water will be discharged into the starch cooker. Then upon closing valve 45 and opening the valve 41, the wash water is dis-f charged through pipe 42 to a drain. vWhen water no longer flows from the drain, clean water is admitted through valve 39 and pumped up through pipe so as to flush the same. This can be repeated if desired and 7 pipe 20 can be drained by removing plug 46. Pipe 23 can be drained by removing plug 47 v v J Thus we have provided not only a starching device in which we utilize as part thereof the same extractor which has been used for the extracting operation, but we have also provided-a device in which the clothes are thoroughly and uniformly starched and in which there is no danger of the starch solution clogging as it is fed to the clothes. We have provided alsoa device in which the tendency for the starch solution to become thinned out,

due to the remaining moisture in the clothes after the extracting operation, maybe corrected by admitting from the starch cooker a certain quantity of the comparatively thick starch solution. Thus in our improved device, the solution of starch in the cooker is maintained independent and separate from the system of pipes through which the starch.

solution is circulated during the starching operation, and is not'subjected to the thinning efiect of the moisture retained by the clothes in the extracting basket.

Furthermore, we have provided a device in which the pump may be readilyprimed due who are skilled in the art to which this invention relates.

What we claim is: I

11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a centrifugal extracting machine,

a starchsolution storage reservoir, conduit means through which starch solution may be circulated through said machine, fluid supply means for flushing purposes, and delivery connections between saidfluid supply means and said conduit means and between said fluid supply means and said starch solution storage reservolr, wherebyasald conduit means and said storage reservoir may be flushed by fluid from said fluid supply means.

2. Starching apparatus, comprising a cen-' 'trifugal extractor provided with a rotatable basket and a curb having a waste drain out-' let, a starch reservoir,- a circulating pump having its suction side provided with valved connections to said curb and reservoir for conducting material therefrom tothe pump and its discharge side connected to a supply conduit for the extractor, said'conduit having a nozzle located to distribute the supply over material in the basket, whereby starch solution'may be circulated from the curb to the pump and then returned to "the extractor through said'supply conduit, and starch solution may be drawn from said reservoir to prime the pump.

3, 'Starching apparatus,

basket anda curb-having a waste drain outlet,

7 comprising a cen- .trifugal extractor provided with a rotatable 7 a starch reservoir, a circulating pump having its suction side provided with valved con- I 1 nections tosaid curb andrejservoir for conducting material therefrom'to the pump and its discharge side connected to a supply conduit for the extractor, said conduithaving a nozzle locatedvto distribute the supply over material in the basket, whereby starch solution may be circulated from the curbto the pump and then returned to the extractor through said supply conduit and starch solution may be drawn from said reservoir to prime the pump, and a separate valved connection from said reservoir to said-extractor supply conduit, whereby additional starch from the reservoir may be introduced into the I stream circulated by the to the extractor basket.

In testimony signatures.

pump from the curb ALBERT J. DREHER. FORREST J. ooUcH.

whereof We hereby aflix our 

